Sowing the dream of university in a makeshift home

As the new school year begins, while his peers happily don crisp new uniforms, schoolbags, and supplies, Do Quang Bien, a 12A5 student at Loc Ninh High School (Loc Ninh commune), continues to use worn clothes, hand-me-down textbooks, and secondhand school supplies.

Throughout the summer, he worked tirelessly at odd jobs, hoping to save enough to cover the start-of-year expenses. But the small amount he earned barely made a dent in the mandatory costs. Ahead lies a difficult academic journey, one that could be cut short at any moment.

In the makeshift shelter on the rubber plantation’s land, the three members of Bien’s family still nurture the hope that he will study well for a brighter future. Photo: Thu Hien

Poverty surrounding the family

In a makeshift shelter on borrowed land from Plantation 2 (Loc Ninh Rubber Company Limited), after selling a packet of noodles to a worker finishing a shift, Nguyen Thi Qua, Bien’s mother, began to share the story of her life.

More than 18 years ago, she and Do Van Bay were married when both were already in their 40s. Soon after, they left their hometown of Hai Duong and moved to Tan Tien (in what was then Binh Phuoc province), carrying hopes of building a new life by tapping rubber latex.

“Both our families were poor. We spent our youth doing hired labor, letting those years slip by,” Qua shared, her voice trembling. “We married late, at the age of 43, and dared to have only one child, hoping to give him a proper education so that he wouldn’t suffer the same illiteracy as his parents.”

Through their hard work, Qua and her husband saved over 100 million VND to support their son’s education. However, in 2021, the money was borrowed by an acquaintance who then disappeared. Since then, the family has fallen into destitution.

Three years ago, Qua was diagnosed with heart disease and a hepatic artery aneurysm. Without money for follow-up examinations or treatment, her health steadily declined, forcing her to give up her job as a factory worker and return home to earn what she could by selling packets of noodles and bottles of water to workers after their shifts. The burden then fell on Bay’s shoulders. But at 60, no longer able to handle strenuous labor, he could only manage light work as a latex hut guard at Plantation 2. Starting at 3 a.m. and working into the late afternoon, he earns just over 4 million VND a month, far too little to support a family amid mounting needs.

Dream still nurtured

Moved by his parents’ hardship, Bien has been helping the family since he was a child. While his peers were still carefree and playing, he followed his father to the rubber plantation, accompanied his mother to construction sites, pulled weeds, or carried heavy loads. The meager wages he earned were carefully saved to buy school supplies or help put food on the table. “It was in those difficult times,” Bien shared, “that I realized only education could offer me a different future, and give my family a way out of relentless hardship.”

After school hours, Bien works to help his parents. Photo: Thu Hien

For 11 consecutive years, Bien has maintained the title of good and fairly good student. He is nurturing the dream of entering Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport, majoring in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. However, the cost of university education is now far beyond his family’s reach.

“I am beyond working age, and soon I must hand over the latex hut guarding job. The small drink stall and the makeshift shelter our family relies on from the plantation are also being reclaimed. How can I possibly support my son’s university dream now!” Bay spoke in anguish.

Facing such uncertainty, Bien has often thought of setting aside his university dream to work and support his family early. “I have nurtured this dream every day, every month… If I have to give it up now, I will be very sad. I feel small and powerless, as if left behind, while peers of the same age can freely spread their wings in the sky of knowledge,” Bien sadly confided.

☎ Contributions of kindness can be sent to:

+ Program “Wings for Dreams”, Public & Archives Department, Dong Nai Newspaper, Radio and Television.

+ Or phone number: 0911.21.21.26 (Editor Thu Hien).

+ Receiving account: 197073599999 - Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, VietinBank. Please specify in the transfer content: Support student Do Quang Bien.

The “Wings for Dreams” scholarship connection program, edition 122, will take place at 9:00 a.m. on September 19, 2025 (Friday), at Loc Ninh High School, Loc Ninh commune, Dong Nai province.

By Thu Hien – Translated by Minh Hanh, Minho